Railway-switch.



G. A. LANGDON. RAILWAY SWITCH.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1912.

Patented Ja11.'7, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES COLUMIUA PLgNuGRAPt-l cm. WASHINGTON. D. c.

(L'A. LANGDON.

. RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1912.

Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

W W a ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOORAFH cm, WASHINGTON, D. c.

To all whom it may concern:

. tain new and I this difficulty by greatly increased by CLAUDE A. LANG-DON, 0F HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 11, 1912. Serial No. 696,587.

Be it known that I, CLAUDE A. a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented cerof which the following is a mounted to move laterally upon a floor portion of a frame structure in which grooves are formed to receive the flanges of wheels and guide them to and from the tongue, and

wherein the heel end of the switch tongue abuts against-a tread portion rising from the floor portion on which the tongue is mounted.

In switches of this class it is desirable to maintain the top of the heel end of'the tongue in or near the horizontal plane of the top of the tread portion against which the heel ofthe tongue abuts, and it is also desirable to maintain a tight joint between the heel end of the tongue and the tread portion against which it abuts, in order that wheels may be jarred, as little as possible in passing over the-switch, and in order that the hammer-like action, of wheels upon parts of the switch structure may be minimized.

. It has been found diflicult to maintain the parts in this desirable condition owing to the wear between the parts, the wear being way between the bottom of the heel end of the switch tongue and the floor portion supporting the same and owing to street dirt finding its way between the heel end of the tongue and the tread portion it abuts.

The objectof my invention is to overcome the provision of a novel, simple and efficient means for maintaining thebottom of the heel end of the tongue in close contact with the floor portion upon which it rests and for maintaining theheel end of the tongue in close contact with the tread portion against which it abuts; said means including a lever having a part above its fulcrum engaging a part of the switch tongue and moving downwardly and rearwardly when the lever is moved on its fulcrum to press the tongue down upon the floor portion and to hold the heel end of the tongue back against the abutting tread portion.

LANGDON,

useful Improvements in Rail- 1 street dirt finding its against which A further object of my invention is to construct the said means so that it will automatically take up between the switch tongue and parts engaged therewith.

A further object of my invention is to construct the said means so that the lever engaging the tongue will engage it on the line of the axis of the pivot on which the tongue is moved laterally to minimize the wear between the lever and the tongue; and a further object of my invention is to construct the said means so that it will not be necessary for any integral part of the switch tongue to project below its bottom face restmg 011 the floor portion, to permit the uninterrupted grinding or machining of the bottom of the tongue, insuring the accurate fitting of the tongue to the floor portion upon which itrests.

My inventionconsists in the'various novel features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention: Figure 1, is a plan View of a portion of a railway switch structure embodying my invention, end of the switch tongue and adjacent parts;

Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section, on line 22 i of Fig. 1. Fig. 3,-is a transverse section, on

line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a transverse section, on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating one form of embodiment of my invention, 5 designates the frame structure or base of a railway switch. This frame or base includes a floor portion 6 provided with downwardly-extending supporting walls 7 spaced and arranged to provide a firmand rigid frame for the switch structure; Rising from one side of thefioor portion 6 and extending longitudinally ofthe frame 5 is a tread portion 8, and rising from the other side of the floor portion 6 and extending longitudinally of the frame 5 is a guard portion 9. Resting upon the floor portion 6 between the tread portion 9 is the switch tongue 10, the heel end of which abuts against a tread portion 11 rising from the floor portion 6 between the tread portion 8 and guard portion 9.

Formed between the tread portions 8 and 11 and between the tread portion 11 and the guard portion 9 are the usual grooves 12 and 13, respectively, to receive'the-flanges Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

any wear that may'occur portion 8 andthe guard showing the heel of wheels and guide them to and from the respective sides of the tongue in the usual manner. The entire frame structure 5 may be formed in a single casting or, as is common in switch structures of this class and as shown in the drawings, the top of the floor portion 6 the tread portions 8 and 11 and the guard portion 9 may be formed in a separate casting 15 seated in a casting forming the main body of the frame structure 5. The heel end of the tongue 10 is formed into a large pivot head 14 which is mounted between the tread portion 8 and guard portion 9 in a manner to pivot the heel end of the tongue to the frame structure to permit the point end of the tongue to be moved laterally into engagement with either the tread portion 8 or guard portion 9 as the tongue is operated in the usual manner. The head 14 and the sides of the body of the tongue 10 are grooved to form continuations of the grooves 12 and 13, as shown.

When herein I speak of rearwardly, I mean in the direction from the tongue 10 to the tread portion 11, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1.

Formed in the bottom of the head 14 or in the bottom of the heel end of the tongue 10 is a cavity 16 which extends upwardly and then rearwardly providing the tongue with a bearing part 17 above the bottom face of the tongue and below the rearward portion of the cavity 16. The floor portion 6 beneath the forward portion of the cavity 16 is provided with an opening 18, and. extending through the opening 18 and into the cavity 16 is the upper end of a lever 19. The upper end of this lever 19 ex tends over and engages the rounded top of the bearing part 17 and also the rounded forward face of the part 17 slightly below the top thereof. The area of the engaged faces of the part 17 and lever 19 is very small and such area is on the vertical line forming the center or axis of the head 14 on which the head turns, as the tongue is moved from side to side. It will therefore be seen that there will be very little friction and consequently very little wear between the part 17 and lever 19. The lever 19 is fulcrumed at 20, against the floor portion 6 in a manner to permit the lever to be moved parallel to a vertical plane extending longitudinally of the switch structure. The upper portion of the lever 19 extends upwardly and rearwardly from the fulcrum 20 so that when the lower portion of the lever 19 is moved forwardly, the part of the lever 19 engaged with the part 17 of the tongue 10 will be forced downwardly and rearwardly, thereby forcing the bottom of the heel end of the tongue down upon the floor portion 6, and forcing the heel end of the tongue back against the tread portion 11. The lower portion of the lever 19 extends downwardly and rearwardly from the fulcrum 20 and the lower end of the lever 19 is engaged by a lever 21 which rests within a socket in the rearward side of the lower end of the lever 19, as shown. The lever 21 extends transversely beneath the floor portion 6, and one end of the lever 21 is fulcrumed at 22 against the frame structure, and the other end of the lever is bifurcated at 23 for a purpose presently ex plained. The lever 21 is fulcrumed to move parallel to its side faces and parallel to adownwardly and forwardly extending, inclined plane, so that if forward and downward pressure he applied to the bifurcated end of the lever 21, such pressure will be transmitted to the lower end of the lever 19, thereby forcing the heel end of the tongue down into close contact with the floor portion 6 and at the same time forcing the heel end of the tongue back into close cont-act with the tread portion 11.

To exert the desired forward and downward pressure against the lever 21, I provide the following. Extending through the bifurcated end of the lever 21 and parallel to the inclined plane through which the lever 21 is fulcrumed to move is a bolt 24. The lower and forward end of the bolt 24 extends through a slot 25 in an inclined rib or wall 26 of the frame 5, and the lower end of the bolt 24 is provided with a square head 27 seated in a square socket in the bottom of the wall 26. The head 27, engaging the walls of the socket in which it is seated prevents upward movement of the bolt 24- and prevents it from turning. The slot 25 is made in key-hole form, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, to permit the head 27 to be lowered through the wide part of the slot, in assembllng the parts, before the shank of the bolt is moved into the narrow portion of the slot where it rests. The bolt 24 extends up from the wall 26 through and beyond the bifurcated end of the lever 21, and a nut 28 is screwed on to the up er end of the bolt. The bottom of the nut 28 engages the top of a coiled spring 29 which encircles the bolt 24, and the bottom of the spring 29 engages the top of the bifurcated end of the lever 21, the spring 29 being compressed between the nut 28 and lever 21. It will thus be seen that the spring 29 acts to press the lever 21 and therewith the lever 19 and tongue 10 forwardly and downwardly, that the heel end ofthe tongue 10 is thus held firmly back against the tread portion 11 and firmly down upon the floor portion 6, and that the spring 29 will automatically take up any wear that occurs between the tongue 10 and the bread portion 11, and between the tongue 10 and the floor portion 6. By adjusting the nut 28 upon the bolt 24, the pressure of the spring 29 against the lever 21 may be nicely regulated. The bifurcated end of the in the mechanism. for holding the switch-- tongue in place.

I claim:

1. In a railway switch, the combination.

of a frame structure having a floor portion and a tread portion rising from the floor portion, a switch tongue upon said floor portion and having its heel end. abutting against said tread portion, a lever fulcrumed against said, frame structure and having a part above its fulcrum engaging a part of said tongue adjacent the heel end thereof, and means for exerting a combined downward and rearward pressure against that part of said lever engaged with said tongue.

2. In a railway switch, the combination of a frame structure and a tread portion rising from the floor upon said floor portion and having its heel end abutting against said tread portion, a lever fulcrumed against said frame structure and having a part above its fulcrum engaging a part of said tongue adjacent the heel end thereof, and means for exerting a combined downward and rearward pressure against that part of said lever engaged with said tongue, said means including a lever fulcrumed to move parallel to a plane between a vertical plane and a horizontal plane.

3. In a railway switch, the combination of a frame structure having a floor portion and a tread portion rising from the floor portion, a switchtongue upon said fioor portion and having a pivot head on the heel end thereof mounted to turn in said frame structure and to abut against said tread portion, a lever fulcrumed against said frame structure and having a part above its fulcrum engaging a part of said tongue on the line of the axis of said tongue, and means for exerting a combined downward and rearward pressure against that part of said lever engaged with said tongue.

4-. In a railway switch, the combination of a frame structure having a fioor portion and a tread portion rising from the floor portion, a switch tongue upon said fioo-r portion and having a pivot head on the heel end thereof mounted to turn in said frame structure and to abut against said tread portion, a lever fulcrumed against said frame structure and having a part above its fulcrum engaging a part of said tongue on the line of the axis of said head, and means for exerting a combined downward and rearportion, a switch tongue ward pressure against that part of said lever engaged with said tongue, said means in cluding: a lever fulcrumed to move parallel to a plane between a vertical plane and a horizontal plane.

5. In a railway switch, the combination of a frame structure having a floor portion and a tread portion rising from the floor portion, a switch tongue upon said'floor portion and having its heel end abutting against said tread portion, a lever fulcrumed against said frame structure and having a part above its fulcrum engaging a part of said tongue adjacent the heel end thereof, a

lever fulcrumed against said frame structurev and engaging the first named lever below its fulcrum, and means for exerting pressure against the second named lever forcing downwardly and rearwardly that portion of the first named lever engaged with said tongue.

6. In a railway switch, the combination of a frame structure having a floor portion and a tread portion rising fromthe floor portion, a switch tongue upon said floor portion and having its head end abutting against said tread portion, two levers fulcrumed against said frame structure, one lever having a part above its fulcrum engaging a part of said tongue adjacent the heel end thereof and having a part below its fulcrum engaging the other lever, and means for exerting pressure against said other lever and forcingsaid tongue downwardly and rearwardl 7 In a railway switch, the combination of a frame structure having a floor portion, a switch tongue upon said floor portion, a lever fulcrumed on said frame structure to move substantially parallel to a vertical plane extending longitudinally of the switch structure, said lever having a part engaging a part of said tongue adjacent the heel end thereof, a lever fulcrumed on said frame structure and extending transversely of the switch structure and crossing and engaging the first named lever, and means for exerting pressure against the second named lever and forcing downwardly that portion of the first named lever engaged with said tongue.

8. In a railway switch, the combination of a frame structure having a floor portion and a tread portion rising from the floor portion, a switch tongue upon said floor portion and having its heel end abutting against said tread portion, said lever having a part above its fulcrum engaging a part of said tongue adjacent the heel end thereof, a lever fulcrumed on said frame structure and extending transversely of the switch structure and crossing and engaging the first named lever, and means for exerting pressure against the second named lever and forcing downwardly and rearwardly that portion of the first named lever engaged with said tongue. 5

9. In a railway switch, the combination of a frame structure having a floor portion, a switch tongue upon said floor portion and having a cavity formed in the bottom of the heel end thereof above the plane of the top of said floor portion, a lever fulcrumed against said frame structure and extending into said cavity and over and engaging a part of said tongue, and means for exerting downward pressure against that portion of said member engaged with said tongue.

10. In a railway switch, the combination of a frame structure having a floor portion and a tread portion rising from the floor portion, portion and having a cavity formed in the bottom of the heel end thereof above the plane of the top of said floor portion, a lever fulcrumed against said frame structure and extending into said cavity and over and engaging a part of said tongue, and means for exerting a combined downward and rearward pressure against that portion of said lever engaged with said tongue.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLAUDE A. LANGDON. Witnesses:

ALBERT R. PEREGoY,

W. H. SMILEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. 0.

Commissioner of Patents a switch tongue upon said floor 

